Johannes Brahms Piano Quartet in A Opus 26

The Brahms Piano quartet Opus 26 was published in 1862, along with the G minor quartet, just as the young Brahms was passed over for an appointment to become director of the Hamburg Philharmonic Society. He moved to Vienna and it received its first performance there. It is less often played than its partner, the G minor quartet or indeed, the later C minor quartet. This may be related to the fact that it is longer, less dark and a little less "obvious" in design and temperament than either of the other two quartets.

Although the drama, structure and deft use of short motives Brahms derived from his study of the works of Beethoven are ever-present, the dolce parts of the first movement owe more to Schubert in terms of the lighter, more lyrical quality of the music. This is particularly obvious in his piano writing.

The "Poco Adagio" is the heart of this work. The exquisite use of offset rhythm to convey a beautiful melody, which characterizes so many of the composer's slow movements, is used to great effect here. More ominous material is introduced, but he returns to the lovely melody , ending the movement as atmospherically as it was begun.

The third movement begins with the strings in unison playing a winding legato melody. Brahms fully exploits this, along with some waltz-like accompaniment figures by experimenting with the rythmic emphasis and articulation. The central section introduces some new, heavier thematic material, punctuated by gentler sections of horn fifths in the strings. The original melodic material is taken up once again to finish the movement.

The Allegro, like the wild Gypsy Rondo of the G minor quartet, definitely has some rumbustious Zigeuner elements. This is particularily evident in the way the piano chords are sycopated against the strings in the very opening. Brahms quotes freely from his other movements and introduces more thematic material before he brings the work to close with one of his trademark grand symphonic finales.